Chapter 308

Inuyasha lingered on the wonderful taste of the roasted rabbit yōkai for a moment before his gaze drifted toward Myriad Worlds, which Haruto had set aside nearby.

Curious, he leaned closer and examined the otherwise unremarkable-looking kitchen knife.

"So this is the kitchen knife Tōtōsai forged for you?"

Haruto had brought out an absurd collection of rare materials back at Tōtōsai’s forge, so naturally Inuyasha had been wondering what kind of blade the old swordsmith would ultimately produce.

"That’s right."

Haruto picked up Myriad Worlds and slowly ran a fingertip along the cool surface of the blade.

"This knife is called Myriad Worlds. It’s an incredible kitchen knife."

Inuyasha gave it another careful look before clicking his tongue.

"Really? Looks pretty ordinary to me. Doesn’t seem that strong."

He patted Tessaiga at his side.

"Tessaiga’s definitely stronger."

"Myriad Worlds is plenty strong. You just don’t understand what makes a good kitchen knife."

Haruto immediately defended it with complete seriousness.

"Here. I’ll show you what it can do."

Kagome and the others were drawn in by the conversation and turned toward Haruto with interest.

Under everyone’s curious gaze, Haruto demonstrated several of Myriad Worlds’ abilities.

The one that shocked them most was its power to create a perfect duplicate of him.

While Inuyasha and the others were still staring at the replica in amazement, Kagura, who had remained motionless nearby all this time, suddenly broke into a smile of barely contained delight.

Her eyes snapped open.

All uncertainty had vanished from them.

Only absolute conviction remained.

She had finally found it.

The Nen ability that was truly hers alone.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kagura immediately began trying to give that idea form.

She guided the Nen she had only recently awakened, pouring every shred of her will, longing, and desire into it.

A strange vibration spread outward from her body.

The instant Haruto sensed the change in her aura, he put Myriad Worlds away and turned toward Kagura with a serious expression.

"It’s starting."

Inuyasha and the others immediately forgot about the knife and followed Haruto’s gaze, their faces filling with curiosity.

Before everyone’s eyes, Kagura slowly raised one hand and opened the folding fan she had been holding.

A gentle breeze appeared from nowhere and began circling her.

At first, it was little more than a soft draft.

Then the wind steadily grew stronger.

Leaves, dust, and flower petals lifted from the ground as the current intensified, until a large whirlwind had formed around Kagura.

Haruto gathered aura into his eyes and used Gyo.

Through it, he could clearly see Kagura’s Nen flowing continuously into the surrounding wind.

Aura and air merged seamlessly until there was almost no distinction between the two.

Confusion entered Haruto’s eyes.

For the moment, even he could not tell what kind of ability Kagura had created.

Still, this was clearly the critical stage.

Interrupting her now was out of the question.

So Haruto suppressed his curiosity and continued watching.

Before long, he noticed something strange.

Kagura’s body seemed... slightly faded.

At first, Haruto assumed the swirling dust was obscuring his vision.

But as the seconds passed, Kagura became increasingly pale and translucent, like a reflection in water slowly dissolving beneath ripples.

And it did not stop there.

A few moments later, her body became completely transparent.

Then, without making a sound, Kagura vanished into the wind.

"Elemental transformation?"

Haruto murmured in surprise.

Although Kagura’s physical form had disappeared, he could still clearly sense her presence.

It had not vanished at all.

Instead, her aura had dispersed into every current of air surrounding them.

At that moment, the wind itself had become part of Kagura.

No—

Kagura had become the wind.

Under Haruto’s intent gaze, the currents around them gradually began gathering in one place again.

Kagura’s outline emerged from the air.

Little by little, her body solidified until she stood before them once more, still wearing the same red kimono and holding her fan as though nothing had changed.

Yet Haruto immediately sensed that something about her was completely different.

Before, no matter how casually Kagura carried herself, there had always been a faint shadow of gloom clinging to her.

That heaviness was gone.

Now she seemed lighter, freer, almost as though she might dissolve into the breeze and disappear whenever she pleased.

There was no longer any sense of restraint in her eyes.

Only pure joy.

Even so, Haruto felt there had been another, even greater change.

He simply could not put his finger on it.

Then Inuyasha’s expression suddenly shifted.

He sniffed sharply several times before blurting out,

"Naraku’s smell is gone!"

Haruto immediately understood.

That was it.

Kagura’s aura had changed.

Before, her yōki had always carried the faint, disgusting trace of Naraku.

Now that presence had disappeared completely.

In its place was nothing but the clean, pure scent of wind, like the first breeze crossing a mountaintop at dawn, carrying the fragrance of grass, trees, and open sky.

Kagura slowly walked over to Haruto.

Then she smiled.

It was like winter ice finally melting beneath spring sunlight, or the first warm breeze sweeping across the earth after a long, bitter season.

Even Haruto found himself briefly distracted by the sight.

Once he recovered, he looked at her and quietly asked,

"You did it?"

Kagura did not answer immediately.

Her smile simply deepened.

Then she reached up and pulled open the front of her kimono.

Haruto froze.

His mind went blank, and he instinctively turned his head away.

"W-What are you doing?"

Even his voice came out slightly awkward.

Seeing his flustered reaction, Kagura could not help laughing softly.

She turned around and exposed her back toward him instead.

"Is it gone?"

Haruto blinked.

Then realization hit him.

He turned back and looked.

Moonlight fell across Kagura’s smooth back.

The ugly spider-shaped mark that had once scarred her skin had vanished completely.

Not even the faintest trace remained.

"Yeah."

Haruto nodded.

"It’s gone."

"Hahaha... It really is gone!"

Kagura burst into laughter.

There was nothing restrained or graceful about it.

She laughed openly, freely, as though she intended to release every ounce of resentment, humiliation, and helplessness that had built up inside her over the years.

As she laughed, tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

Before they could fall, they dissolved into the wind and scattered through the night.

She was free.

Truly free.

Every connection between her and Naraku had been severed.

From this moment onward, she was no longer merely one of Naraku’s incarnations.

She was Kagura.

The one and only Wind Sorceress.

And with the bond between them gone, the spider mark that had branded her as part of Naraku disappeared forever as well.

Haruto watched her laugh, and a smile gradually appeared on his own face.

He stepped forward and helped her pull her kimono properly back into place.

"Ahem."

An awkward cough sounded nearby.

Miroku had just walked over and was now looking at Haruto with an unmistakably aggrieved expression.

He had not even gotten to see anything.

Haruto chose to ignore him completely.

After straightening Kagura’s clothes, he stepped back and looked her over once before nodding with satisfaction.

"Thank you, Haruto."

Kagura turned toward him and spoke with complete sincerity.

This time, there was no teasing or casual arrogance in her voice.

Only genuine gratitude.

"You’re welcome."

Haruto waved it off.

Then curiosity quickly took over his expression.

"So... what exactly is the Nen ability you created?"

"I really want to know."

The question was admittedly a little intrusive, but not asking would have driven him crazy.

And Haruto was far from the only curious one.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Shippō immediately gathered around as well, all staring at Kagura expectantly.

They had heard fragments of Haruto’s explanation earlier, but none of them truly understood what had just happened.

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